GENEVA (29 September 2022) – Illegal intercountry adoptions may violate the prohibition of abduction, sale of or trafficking in children and the prohibition of enforced disappearances, a group of UN rights experts said today, urging States to take action to prevent and eradicate such illicit practices.
“When illegal intercountry adoptions occur, various human rights are violated, including the rights of every child to preserve their identity,” the experts said in a joint statement published today, adding there are “devastating consequences on the lives and rights of victims.”
“In certain conditions as provided for in international law, illegal intercountry adoptions may constitute serious crimes such as genocide or crimes against humanity,” they said.
The joint statement was issued while the question of illegal intercountry adoptions is being raised in several countries, with an increasing number of adoptees discovering inconsistencies or errors in their adoption process, and that stories they had been told about their origins and the reasons for their adoptions were fake.
The experts called on States to fulfil their duty to prevent illegal intercountry adoption by promulgating and implementing laws, policies and other necessary measures concerning the adoption process.